It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

Summary taken from Goodreads

I am completely in love with this series. It’s the perfect blend of summer fun and complete heartbreak. Though this one was definitely more heartbreak than fun. I liked The Summer I Turned Pretty a little better but this one was still amazing.

    It’s Not Summer starts out telling us that Belly will never be going back to Cousin’s beach because Suzanne has past away. Hello tears! And in the first chapter too. Ouch. Then we have some heartbreaking flash backs of how horrible Conrad treated Belly. I just wanted to smack that kid! He made her feel like she completely made up their relationship in her head, which we all know was the furthest from the truth. What a dick. ‘Cuse my language.

    Then we have Belly’s mom. After losing her best friend, she completely shuts down. She went through the motions of day to day life, but she wasn’t really there. It was like she lost a piece of herself and didn’t know how to go on without Beck. Ugh it was so painful.

    In all honesty, Belly bugged me a bit in this one. Though I think that was kind of intentional. She was grieving and didn’t know how to deal with it. She acted like she was the only one who lost someone and it kinda made me want to punch her a little bit. Instead of trying to understand what Conrad was going through, she just pushed and pushed. Gah is all I have to say about that!

    “How do you regret one of the best nights of your entire life? You don’t. You remember every word, every look. Even when it hurts, you still remember.” That line. Oh that line. It kicked me right in the gut. I literally burst into tears and had to put the book down. Han is amazing at doing that, hitting you right where it hurts the most. Her writing is beautiful and I loved every word of it.

    I’m still a little shaky about the ending. I got it, it made sense. And I hated it. But then I didn’t. See? Shaky. (Except with how badass Belly’s mom was at the end! Loved it!) The next book is definitely the next on my to buy list. I can’t wait to see how it end, but I also don’t want it to end. You know what I mean?

    Have you read this series? What do you think?

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.

 Summary taken from Goodreads 

It took me a really long time to figure out exactly what I thought of this book. If you've read it, you know what I mean. It just kept throwing you through loop after loop. I couldn't figure out what was real and what was just in Chloe's mind. I had to put the book down for almost a week before I really processed what I thought of it.

Suma's writing made this story. I think if anyone else would have attempted a novel like this, they would have failed. This is a story that is really just about two sisters. Nothing else. But Suma drags you in to this beautiful, haunting world of two sisters that you can't escape.

 A world that lies underneath the reservoir called Olive. 


Was Olive just a story that Ruby made up, or do the citizens still live there, dragging anyone down with them who swam into their territory? The whole thing was just so creepy.


Ruby and Chloe's relationship was beyond anything I have ever experience. I know what it's like to worship your older sister, since I'm the baby in my family. But this was something beyond that. Chloe really believe that Ruby could change their world just by wanting something. Chloe's whole world revolved around Ruby. She didn't feel like she existed unless Ruby was with her. It was a scary devotion that I will never understand. Sometimes it felt like Chloe hated Ruby a little, but she couldn't live without her. Their relationship was the most tangled and confusing I have ever read. 


Honestly, I'm still having a hard time putting this book into words. Because, well, nothing really happens. And usually that would be a bad thing. But that's not the case in the least with Imaginary Girls. It's completely creepy, haunting, eerie, and a mess of other adjectives to describe the chills this book left you with. It's not something I can write in a review, it's something you have to experience for yourself. 


It's been a long time since a book left me speechless and unsure of what I just read. But Imaginary Girls did so in the best way. Basically all I can say is read it. Then you'll know what I mean.

The Unbecoming Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.


It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember 
that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
 
She's wrong.

Summary taken from Goodreads 


There probably isn’t anything I can say about this book that hasn’t been said. But I don’t care. I’m gonna say it anyways. Holy crap this book was amazing!!

The book start with Mara waking up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there. Her parents tell her she just survived a terrible accident that claimed the like of her best friend, her boyfriend, and his sister.

Mara develops a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and starts seeing her friends everywhere. In order to help save her mind, her family moves her across the country. But it just seems to be getting worse. And strange things start happening to people around her. Trying to figure out what was real with Mara was enough to spin your head.

Then Mara meets Noah. Noah!!! He is just the most steamy. I loved ever scene he was in.

This book threw me through the loop so many times. The middle! The end! Oh my gosh. The twists in this just kept coming. Really there isn’t much more I can say without giving it away.

The only thing left to say is.  Read it. Now! 

Clarity by Kim Harrington

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Summary taken from Goodreads. 


Clarity was awesome! I couldn't put it down! Seriously! I read it from start to finish in one sitting. Totally loved it. 

It was awesome to read about a family of psychics all working together to run a business. And to see how Clare defended her brother no matter what. The family loyatly in this was astounding and I found myself feeling a bit jealous of it every now and then.

The murder mystery aspect was done so well. It kept me guess the whole time. Every time I thought I figured out whodunnit, Harrington threw me another curve ball. Usually, I'm pretty good at figuring out the mysteries. I wasn't even close this time. I loved every minute of it!

I also enjoy the romance aspect greatly. Clare's relationship with her ex, Justin, was very confusing and messy and that made it all the more real. He hurt her very badly, but she was trying to forgive him though she didn't know how. Something I can completely relate too.


Then enters the new hottie, Gabriel. He was completely steamy and I was drawn to him from the get go, just like Clare. I lived for the scenes he was in, even when he was kind of a great. But with his past, who could blame him...


Clarity was a five star read. If for any reason you've been putting off reading it like I did. Stop it. Read it. Now.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Summary taken from Goodreads

Another fabulous book from Clare, as always. But what really sets this series apart from the TMI series is the setting. Clare's writing never fails to impress me and her Victorian London is so vivid and beautiful. I felt completely transported back in time when I read this.

Another thing that Clare does way too well, love triangles. Even more in this than TMI. She makes it almost impossible to choose between Jem and Will. They are completely different people, both wonderful in there own way. Though if I'm being honest, Will has my heart completely after this one.

We finally get to see more into Will's past and we gain a  much better insight into him. Thank god! I was furious at the end of Clockwork Angel, so many unanswered questions! And while she doesn't wrap everything up, my Will curiosity was satisfied.

Jem is just wonderful too. He is such a sweetheart and has been such a loyal friend to Will, no matter how horrible he's been. If I didn't have such a soft spot for damaged bad boys I'd be head over heels for Jem. But I see him more as someone Tessa should be best friends with. Just friends, Tessa, you hear me?

The mysteries of the Magister just grow! Not to mention how Tessa came to be! Ah I cannot wait for Clockwork Princess to finally answer all my questions!

I can't say one bad thing about this book. Seriously. I think Clare is pretty much flawless and just keeps getting better with each book. I can't wait to read more by her. I hope she never stops writing about the Shadowhunter world.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

Summary taken from Goodreads


After the shocker ending of the last book, I couldn't wait to dig my teeth into this one. And while I loved every minute of it, I  am so sad to see the end. I know there's Bloodlines and it's set in the same world, but I'm afraid it just won't be the same. Rose quickly became one of favorite heroines and I'm sad to see her story end. 


But what a wonderful ending! This whole book was just full of twists and turns. The adventure was amazing! Seeing Dimitri and Rose together again, fighting together instead of against each other, oh man. It finally felt right again. 

The world Mead built here is so complex and interesting. I know Bloodlines will be great, even if I know I'll miss Rose and Dimitri greatly. The VA series is definitely on my favorites shelf. I'm going to say it one last time, if you haven't read it yet... what's wrong with you fool?

Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.



 Summary taken from Goodreads



Lola. I don't even know where to begin. Other than, I COMPLETELY LOVED IT!

Okay. Got that out of my system. I guess I'll start in the obvious place. With Lola. I loved her character so much. She was completely unique and fun. Her clothing style was so eccentric and really helped bring her to life. Perkins is fabulous at creating these female characters you wished you were friends with. 


Lola's two dads were also a treat to read about. They weren't styrotypical by any means. Watching them interact with Cricket and Max was fantastic.

Max, Lola'a boyfriend, was hard to hate at first. It was clear Cricket was meant to be with Lola, but she was with a very hot, rocker type bad boy that seemed to really care about her. I found myself swooning over him once or twice...


But Cricket. Oh my lord Cricket. He was so geeky, in that really adorable and charming way. I more than swooned over him. I fell head over heels for him.


This book had a lot more going on than just Cricket and Lola. And I really enjoyed that. It was nice to see that it wasn't just about the romance. Lola's relationship with her dads, her birth mom, even Cricket's sister were what really made the story for me. Having more than just romance going on is what made it such a great read.


Oh. And can I mentioned how much I loved  seeing St. Clair and Anna?? They were still so perfect and so in love. I enjoyed every scene they were in so, so much.


All in all, Perkins is quickly becoming a must read author for me. And she should be for you too!!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life. 


 Summary taken from Goodreads

Anna Dressed in Blood was exactly the spooky ghost story I was looking for! I was so excited about this book and was not let down one bit! It was gruesome, bone chilling, and action packed.

Cas' story had a little bit of a Supernatural feel to it and, since I love that show, I though it was awesome. He learned all his tricks about fighting ghosts from his deceased father. And he's been fighting ghosts ever since he died in hopes of being ready when the time came to face his father's killer. See, a little Supernaturaly. But it was still done well enough that I didn't mind.

All the ghosts that Cas has faced have been different, but none so different as Anna. When we meet her, she is literally tearing a guy in half! How sick is that! And her dress still dripping blood... she was just so incredibly creepy!

I loved figuring out Anna's story with Cas. The mystery was really well done and it ended up being really sad. I felt so bad for this badass killer ghost girl. Not an easy thing to make a reader do. The relationship between Anna and Cas was really well done and I enjoyed watching it develop.

Seeing Cas develop friends for the first time was really interesting to. Carmel was actually my favorite character. I loved watching her accpect the whole scary situation and refuses to be left out of the action, She wanted to help, even if it scared her. She was awesome!

I loved, loved this one. Cannot wait to read the next one! Have you seen this amazing cover??

Ah! So pretty! Cannot wait!

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives outside of the Academy’s cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri. He's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever.

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey—whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what—and who—matters most to her. In the end, is true love really worth the price?

Fall in love with Rose and Dimitri all over again in Spirit Bound, the eagerly awaited fifth novel in Richelle Mead's enthralling Vampire Academy series

Summary taken from Goodreads.

Richelle Mead has left me speechless once again. I have no idea where to begin.


Well I guess I'll start with my growing love for Adrian. He just keeps getting better and better. I was glad that Rose kept her promise and started a relationship with him. He is great to her and cares about her so much.


But.... they just felt wrong! Simply put, he's not Dimitri. Rose and Dimitri are meant to be. They fought so hard for their relationship and they deserve to be together. 


I'm really afraid to say anything else. If I do, I'll probably end up spoiling the book. I need to find someone else who's read it to discuss to with me! 


I will say this. Mead keeps the laughs, tears, action, and mayhem coming in this one. And the ending! What a (excuse my language) fucking twist! I just stared at the book for so long, completely unable to form a coherent thought. Another wonderful book from Mead! 


I don't have any idea how I'm going to stick with my Rewards Challenge and not go buy Last Sacrifice. Like right now. Please lend me all the willpower you can spare to stop me from buying until I read three more of my own books!

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Summary taken from Goodreads. 

Right from the beginning, I knew this book was going to be different than any I'd read. Sure there was the whole girl who knows she's not normal but not why. But other than that, completely original. You know that insta-love thing that was been happening more and more lately in YA books? Starcrossed has the exact opposite. Helen and Lucas (semi spoiler!) tried to kill each other on their first meeting!

From there on, I was hooked. The mythology was amazing. The Furies, the Greek gods, and a very popular Greek legend that I'm not going mention. Too spoilerish. They were all so well done! You can tell how much time and research went into this book. I was completely captivated.

I loved all the side characters in this novel. Helen's dad so was caring without being over protected. Their relationship was a treat to read. Helen's best friend, Claire, was hilarious! I loved every scene with her. So snarky, funny, and above all, loyal. The two fought, but when it really mattered Claire was there for Helen without a second thought.

Lucas' cousin, Hector, was my favorite. He came off cold and harsh, but you could tell everything he did was out of fear for his family's safety. To me, he was completely forgivable. He did what he thought was right but admitted when he was wrong. I loved him.

I had gotten this from the library, but I will be buying my own copy. This needs to be on my bookshelf so I can just gaze at it and reread it whenever I want. This book is definitely going to be in my Top Ten for the year. READ IT NOW! Anxiously await book two with me!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again

Summary from Goodreads 

Beauty Queens was completely and totally different from anything I've ever read before. And I loved every minute of it. Bray has a way of coming up with this crazy ideas and making every word believable.

This cliff notes about outrages products and the commercial breaks were my favorite! Some of them had me busting out laughing. My favorite by far was the Maxi-Pad Pets. Pads. In the shapes of animals. Bahahaha.

There was some pretty obvious social commentary in this book. But it was done in a fun and non-preaching way. And it was pretty spot on. This whole book was all about the GIRL POWER. And I ate it up!

Adina was definitely my favorite of the girls. She was the one from the get go who thought beauty pageants were outdated and degrading, which I agreed with. But it was so fun watching these girl's figure out who they really were. Honestly, I just loved this entire book.

I cannot wait for the next book by Bray. I will pick up anything she's written. Anything. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty By Jenny Han

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.


Summary taken from Goodreads




This book was fabulous. Few books ever take me back to being sixteen, and it be a good thing. Usually you just remember the crapiness that went along with that age. This made me remember all the good times. Being surround by friends, family, and all the things that went along with summer. Especially summer love. I loved every minute of it, which is probably why I stayed up till three am reading it. 


We find out pretty early that the boy's mother used to have breast cancer and I knew from that moment on this book was going to be harder for me to read than I originally thought, seeing as how my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last Christmas and had just finished undergoing radiation. This book just hit so close to home in so many ways. 


Belly was exactly like I remember being when I was sixteen. A little whiney, but just wanting to be included. Seeing her crushing on a boy she knew her whole life... Well let's just say I've been there too. 


All in all, I related so well to this book. It was the perfect end of summer read. And you can bet your butt I'll be continuing this series.

30 Day Book Challenge. Day Nine.

Day 09- A Book you’ve read more than once




























I love this book. Every time I read this, it's like the first time. And it still makes me cry each and every time. This book is wonderful.

It's also being made into a movie soon which worries me a bit but I'm keeping my hopes up. Emma Watson is going to be in it. Can't be that bad, right?? Right.

Seriously though, I'm so glad I read this. I couldn't even tell you how many times I've read it anymore. I notice something new in it and that is why I can't help but love it.

Check this one out if for some reason you haven't yet.

30 Day Book Challenge. Day Eight.

Day 08- An unpopular book you believe should be a Best-Seller


I wouldn't call it unpopular but definitely under appreciated. The movie was so horrible that I put off reading this for so long. What a mistake that was. It was so great. It was so refreshing to read a story where a supernatural GIRL falls in love with a human boy. That one doesn't happen very often. It was also refreshing to see (spoiler) that it didn't work out. That the differences were too much. But that happens sometimes. I loved that she ends up with another werewolf. Actually I loved this story all together. Even when I wanted to slap Vivian in the face for being so stupid. But that's what teenage girls do.

If you haven't read this book, I highly suggest you should. Read a book that is very unique and wonderful.

30 Day Book Challenge. Day Six.

Day 06- A Book that makes you cry

Man oh man. I could list 20 and not even scratch the surface. I'm just going to post a few though. Warning: Semi spoilery if you haven't read the whole series of these books.

Dimitri.... WHY???

This book starts out with a death and just breaks your heart right away. I don't think I could handle even reading this again it was so sad.

Does this one even need to be explained?

Kisten... Oh man. I am still so bitter about the end of this book. It's hard for me to keep reading these sometimes cause I miss him.

Probably too many, but oh well. Like I said, didn't even scratch the surface

30 Day Book Challenge. Day Four.

Day 04- A Book that reminds you of home.

Not because it's anything like my home, but because I spent hours escaping into this world when things weren't great at home. All of the books by this author make me feel like I'm home. Sometimes her books are more real to me than anything else. If you've ever had a book affect you in a way you can't put into words, you know what I mean.

30 Day Book Challenge. Day Three. Ish.

Ah! I went out of town and totally forgot about this! Whoops! Forgive me yeah?

Hope you do!

Day Three: A book that completely surprised me.

I'll go with one that I've read very recently:


















Just. Ahhhh. This book was so amazing. And threw you so many curve balls. I listened to this on audiobook and was crying my eyes out on the freeway. Thankfully, no one else was around so I didn't hit anyone. Haha. I couldn't believe the ending. I was fully expecting a bright and shiny ending but noooo. Had to go and break my heart. Still this book so was damn good! I loved it! Because of this book, I will pick up anything by Libba Bray. Can't wait for Beauty Queens. Should be some good stuff =].

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Summary taken from Goodreads





This book was so adorable. I fell in complete love with it right away. Which is a big deal for me, I don't read much contemporary YA.

Anna was a interesting character. I loved her intense love for films and her strange dream of being a film critic. Little things like that made her a very 3D character. Even the side characters were very well done. Her friend Meredith was my favorite. She was a lot like me in a few ways.

St Claire. Oh man that boy was perfect. And super dreamy. There was a couple parts where the on and off between Anna and him got a little repetitive, but it was worth it. Their relationship was just so cute!

This is the kind of book that makes you want to book a flight and head off to a completely different place to see new and wonderful things. And maybe find a foreign hottie of your own...

Five stars. I can't wait for the next one!

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels

Summary taken from Goodreads


I am going to try my hardest to make this an actual review and not just the insane ravings of a fan girl.

But no promises.

If for some reason you haven't read this series then I have one thing to say to you.... what the hell is wrong with you??

Ahem. Anyways...

Cassandra Clare has a way of pulling you in, hard, and never letting go. I tried my hardest to read this slowly. To savor every word. In the end, that meant reading it in two sittings instead of one. It couldn't be help. As soon as I set the book down, it called to me again. Begging me to devour it. I just had to. Clare's characters and descriptions and her writing style is just wonderful.

I loved watching Clary becoming a bit braver, fighting even harder to protect the people she loves. Her and Jace... I don't even know where to begin. They are memorizing. Their love for each other is so real. Their story is one I don't think I will ever forget.

And can I mention the alley scene? *Shivers* I don't think I have ever read a scene that hot in a YA book before. I reread at least three times. Or, you know, seven.

Simon's story was interesting, but it just didn't hold sway over me like Jace and Clary's did. That may or may not have something to do with the fact I am completely in love with Jace. But I still liked getting to see him get used to being a vampire and everything that entailed. Though I did have to force myself every now and then to not just skip ahead when Clare left us hanging on something between J&C. Which she did. A lot.

The ending left me completely speechless. I just sat there staring. When words did return, they were mostly cuss words. Clare is the master of 'leave them wanting more.'

I would compare my love for these books to something akin to my love for Harry Potter but not which as vast (Sorry Cassie!). But still, just like HP, I have no idea how I am going to make it a year before we find out what happens next. At least I will have Clockwork Prince to help me through this dark time.

Five out of five stars. Another wonderful book from Clare.

I think I literally could go on and on about all the things I loved about this book. But I'll just leave it at this: This series is worth your time. Read it.